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American Judicature Society Dissolving

On September 26, 2014, the Board of Directors of the American Judicature Society (AJS) approved a plan to dissolve the Society and wind up its affairs.

 AJS was the original “fair courts” citizen organization and, for 101 years, has worked nationally to protect the integrity of the American justice system through research, publications, education and advocacy for judicial selection reform. Among its notable accomplishments are the development of the “Missouri Plan” for judicial selection, the creation of state judicial conduct commissions and judicial nominating committees and publication of its award winning peer-reviewed journal, Judicature.  

More recently, other entities have joined the American Judicature Society’s mission to   ensure that the nation’s justice system is fair, impartial, and effective.  In the coming weeks, AJS will reach out to these entities in an effort to ensure the continued operation of its Center for Judicial Ethics and Judicature, which serves as a forum regarding all aspects of the administration of justice and its improvement.  

Commenting on the Board’s decision, AJS President Tom Leighton said:

A fair and impartial justice system is the foundation of American liberty. The American Judicature Society has fought to improve and preserve the fairness, impartiality, and effectiveness of our justice system for 101 years as a member-based entity.  However, in the last several years, the membership model has become more challenging for many nonprofit organizations around the country, including AJS.  At the same time, new nonprofit entities with organizational and financial structures more suited to the times have joined AJS in the fight. The American Judicature Society’s Board of Directors decided that rather than operate on a limited scale, and rather than duplicate the excellent work of other similar entities, AJS should find new homes for its core functions.  To this end, AJS and the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding that transfers AJS’s Center for Judicial Ethics (the CJE) to NCSC and ensures that the CJE will continue its very important work.  AJS is also in the process of finding new homes for Judicature and AJS’s internet accessible resource known as Judicial Selection in the States.

Even after the American Judicature Society closes its doors, its legacy will live on as long as Americans recognize and support a fair and impartial justice system as essential to our freedom.

More information on the long and distinguished history of AJS can be found at www.ajs.org.

*** Any inquiries regarding the dissolution of the AJS can be directed to Mr. Leighton at tom.leighton@thomsonreuters.com

AJS History

Throughout its history, AJS has worked closely with national, state and local bar associations and other organizations to develop and implement justice system reforms. To learn more about how AJS has advocated integrity over the past century in your state, click here >>.